


Think of the Planet

by lost_spook



Category: Doctor Who (1963)
Genre: F/M, Ficlet, Meme, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-30
Updated: 2016-05-30
Packaged: 2018-07-11 05:13:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7030378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lost_spook/pseuds/lost_spook
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Don’t panic, but I think we might have accidentally got married…” (Brig/Liz )</p>
            </blockquote>





	Think of the Planet

**Author's Note:**

> Written for doreyg in an LJ meme.

The Brigadier, Liz noted, entirely ignored the ‘don’t panic’ part of that sentence, but she had felt that after at least ten minutes of the Doctor’s lengthy and rather vague explanations of what precisely the ceremony had entailed, she had better bring everyone to the point.

“There must be some mistake,” the Brigadier said in alarm. “Certainly neither Miss Shaw nor myself were consulted, nor was there anything to indicate –”

The Doctor shook his head. “Shh, Brigadier. If you insult our guests, your Jeitan-Earth treaty will be broken before it’s been signed. In Jeitan culture, it is imperative that such an agreement is also ceremonially represented by a symbolic union between two individuals on each side. Haeli and Fhei have done so for the Jeitans and so, for Earth, who else could it be? I thought you might object to marrying Sergeant Benton.”

“The divorce proceedings with Fiona aren’t yet over,” hissed the Brigadier. “What happens to your symbolic union if it’s illegal?”

The Doctor paused and then beamed at him. “Well, it _is_ symbolic. Don’t tell them that and I’m sure it will all be fine. You and Liz will need to make, ah, some sort of effort at seeing it through to its usual conclusion, but you’re both reasonable people – well, Liz is a rational person – and I’m sure you can oblige with the minimum of fuss.

The situation was appalling, thought Liz, as was the Doctor’s behaviour. She could tell from his guilty avoidance of their gazes that underneath the airy bluster he knew it. Nevertheless, she couldn’t help observing at the same time that the Brigadier’s face at that moment was one that would have been worth capturing on camera, if Liz had only thought to bring one.

As the Doctor made a hasty exit, Liz put her hand to the Brigadier’s arm, concerned that he might disrupt the successful ceremony by knocking the Doctor down. “Don’t worry, Brigadier. I’ll go after him and see about a loophole. There’s bound to be one.”

The Brigadier looked at her. An awkward pause ensued, during which Liz thought recklessly about arguing that the Doctor had a point, and it would hardly matter if they did just consummate their somewhat unconventional marriage, but she stuck on several points, not least being the idea of keeping a straight face while claiming that it was for the sake of the planet.

“Yes,” the Brigadier said. “A sensible suggestion, Miss Shaw. Thank goodness someone around here is a rational being – the Doctor was right about that much.”

Liz nodded but inwardly cursed her rationality. She turned back, on the point of leaving, and arched an eyebrow in his direction. “And if it turns out there isn’t a loophole?”

The Brigadier stared back at her and, having regained his usual infuriating implacability, said the thing that she couldn’t even contemplate, and did it with only the smallest suggestion of amusement evident in his face: “Well, if it’s for the sake of the planet, Miss Shaw…”


End file.
